Flushometer.



F. M. ASHLEY. FLUSHOMETER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1899.

9643365 Patented July 19, 1910.

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F. M. ASHLEY.

FLUSHOMBTER. APPLIOATION FILED APR. 27, 1899.

96%?36e Patented July 19, 1910.

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UNITED @TATE@ PATENT @FFIQE.

FRANK M. ASHLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FLUSHOMETEB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flushometers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to flushometers, and its object is to provide an improved construction for a fiushometer whereby the same will be simple and economical in construction, efiicient in operation, and have all of its parts easily accessible.

The invention comprises various features of advantage which will be more particularly described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing I have illusstrated forms which the invention may take in practice, and in the drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional view of a flusholneter embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of a portion of the device showing a slight modification thereof. Fig. 3, is a sectional view of the fiushometer sh owing openings in the top of the water chamber through which the water may flow from the'main to within the main casing at all times when the manually operated valve is open.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 represents a pipe connected with a suitable source of fluid supply, and 2 represents the usual outlet pipe communicating with the bowl or other place to be flushed. Upon the pipe 1 is formed an annular flange 3 which is adapted to serve as the top wall of the casing for the flushometer as will be hereinafter described. Upon the end of the pipe 1 is formed an annular hood 4, of less diameter than the diameter of the flange 3, and attached to the outer end of the hood 4 is a wall 5, which covers the opening of said hood, and with the hood forms a chamber 6 into which the pipe 1 discharges. A valve 7 is seated against the opening from pipe 1 and a spring 8 serves to normally hold the valve 7 against its seating upon the pipe 1, the spring being of sufi'icient strength for cooperating to hold the valve closed when the pressures at both sides of the valve are equal, but is sufficiently weak to be overcome by the pressure of the fluid in the pipe 1 when the pressure on opposite sides of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 27, 1899.

Patented July 19, ieio.

Serial No. 714,689.

valve becomes unbalanced. One or more openings 9, 9, are formed at any desired level in the hood 4. A casing 10 is secured to the flange 3 at the top, and at the bottom engages with a passage 11 communicating with the outlet pipe 2. Inside of the chamber formed by the casing 10 is a casing 12 the outer surface of which is exposed to the inner wall of the casing 10, and is adapted to surround and slide upon the walls of the hood 4, and also adapted to be supported upon an annular shoulder 13 formed upon the valve stem 14, which latter is moved up and down by the movement of the handle 15 being imparted thereto through the arm 17 and link 16.

Upon the stem 14 is carried a valve 18 adapted to permit passage of fluid between the chamber within the casing 12 and the main chamber within the casing 10. A valve 19 is also carried by the stem 14 and is adapted to rest upon a seating 26 formed upon the wall of the passagevll. If preferred, a ring of suitable packing material 21 may be provided in order to insure a perfect closure of the valve. Surrounding the valve 19 is an annular wall 22, having a plurality of openings 23, 23, therein, which openings are normally covered by the valve 19 butadapted to be uncovered by the raising thereof. The size of the openings 23, and the consequent flow of fluid thereby permitted, may be adjusted at wil. by providing a ring 24 provided with openings 25 which correspond to the openings 23, the ring 24 loosely surrounding the wall 22 and adapted to be moved thereon. A contracted opening is formed in the wall 5 and the size thereof is adapted to be regulated by a pin 33 adjustable in the hood 4. A con venient means for adjusting this pin is shown in the drawing, wherein the pin is provided with a thread engaging the hood, and a screw head 34. Immediately above the screw head, an opening 35 is formed and is normally closed by a cap 36. To adjust the screw, the cap 36 may be removed and a screw-driver inserted through the opening 35 and into engagement with the screw head 34.

The construction above described, it will be noted, is such that all of the parts are readily accessible. For instance, the wall 3 may be unscrewed, thus opening up the interior of the casing. With the construction shown in Fig. 1, the wall 3, pipe 1, hood 4, and wall 5, may all be withdrawn at once, thus leaving the other parts open for inspection or cleaning.

Instead'of having the inlet pipe open into the casing 10 from the top, as shown in Fig. 1, it may enter through the side as illustrated in Fig. 2. Various other modifications of the device described, may of course be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I have shown the modification referred to for the purpose of illustrating that I consider such modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention.

The pressure in the supply pipe 1 may be variable, as in case a number of other water supply fixtures are connected to the same branch from the street main. WVhenever other such fixtures below this one were in use, the pressure at this one would be reduced, and such variation might sometimes be material. In such case the supply of water obtained upon opening the valve 19 may be inadequate at times to give the flush desired although at other times sufficient. Or the valve 7 may become stuck by sediment so that it will not open until the pressure beneath it has become considerably reduced. To meet such contingencies an auxiliary supply tank may be provided, which will contain a quantity suflicient to give the desired flush, and which will be automatically filled while the valve 19 is closed when the valve 7 is free, having been released by the full unbalanced or nearly unbalanced pressure from the main the last time the mechanism was operated, or when the main pressure is at its maximum. Such auxiliary tank is the closed tank 26, which is connected to the casing 10 by pipe 28, and which has a vent opening in its upper portion, with which pipe 29 is connected. A valve 30 is arranged to close the end of pipe 29 within the tank, which valve is operated by the float 31. Then the tank is nearly full this valve closes, after which air is compressed in the upper portion of the tank until a pressure in chamber 6 is reached equal to the pressure in the supply pipe, when valve 7 is closed by its spring. Pipe 29 is connected at its other endwith discharge pipe 11, in order that any water which may pass into it, through leakage of valve 30, may be carried to a suitable point of discharge.

In the operation of the device, assuming the main valve 19 to be closed as illustrated in Fig. 1 and the handle 15 to be in its uppermost position, the water entering by supply pipe 1 will pass valve 7 and fill all the interior of the apparatus, passing through chamber 6 and ports 9 into casing 10, thence past valve 32 into chamber 12 and through pipe 28 into tank 26. When the fluid pressure in chamber 6 becomes equal to that in the supply pipe, valve 7 will be closed by its spring. l/Vhen the handle 15 is pulled, the shoulder 13 is forced against the casing 12 and the water therein is forced out through the valve 18 into the main chamber, which is at the same time opened to the discharge pipe by the raising of valve 19. The water flows from said main chamber, and from tank 26 if that be used, into the discharge pipe, at first under the pressure of the air compressed in the top of tank 26 and the hydraulic head from that point to the valve seat, or if the tank be not used, under the pressure of air compressed in the top of chamber 10, the pressure in either case being substantially equal to the maximum pressure of the main at the level of the valve 7. The pressure will obviously be reduced as the flow continues. If the auxiliary tank be not used, in Which case the ports 9 must be in such position that they will not be covered by the casing 12 when the main valve is opened, the valve 7 will soon open, in consequence of reduction of pressure in chamber 6, and the flow will continue through valve 7, chamber 6, chamber 10, and valve 19, as long as the latter valve is open, the pressure in the interior of the apparatus being that due to the pressure in the supply pipe as diminished by the free outlet, the diminution being proportional to the velocity of the flow.

At the beginning of the flushing operation the openings 23 are but slightly uncovered by the valve 19, but when the valve is entirely open these openings are fully uncovered. Thus when the pressure in the valve chamber is highest, the passage leading therefrom is restricted, but when the pressure has become reduced to that which is normal to a chamber having inflow and discharge under the conditions stated the discharge passage is enlarged. This tends to equalize the flow. hen the handle 15 is released the valve 18 falls to its seat and the interior of casing 12 becomes a vacuum chamber the suction force upon which is the unbalanced weight of the casing and valve, plus the water contained within said casing. The main valve will approach its seat under the action of this force as rapidly as the vacuum can be reduced by the admission of water through the restricted passage 32. Thus the valve is slow closing.

In case the auxiliary tank be used, the ports 9 may be so arranged as to be covered by the casing 12 when the main valve is opened, but are not necessarily so. If they are so arranged, the vohune of the flush will be substantially the capacity of tank 26, pipe 28, and casing 10, provided the slow closing apparatus be adjusted to keep the valve open during nearly the period required for the delivery of that quantity. The flush is thus measured. If the ports be always open, the volume of the flush may be this capacity plus what may flow through valve 7 in the interval. When the level of water in tank 26 has fallen to a certain point, as shown soon after the outflow has begun, the float 31 will fall, opening valve 30, thus venting the tank and permitting the flush to continue under atmospheric pressure. Ports 23 are not of such capacity that down pipe 11 will be completely filled, so as to prevent venting through it or produce an ejector action in pipe 29. Should pipe 11 be filled, or so filled as to induce an ejector action, pipe 29 should be led to some other point of discharge. In case ports 9 are uncovered by casing 12 the opening of valve 7 and the slow closing of valve 19 will occur as above described, the conditions being substantially the same as to these functions as if the auxiliary tank were not used. In case the ports 9 are covered by casing 12 the partial emptying of chamber 6 and consequent reduction of pressure on the under side of valve 7 is dependent upon the suction force tending to enlarge the chamber within casing 12, as above described, which comes into play upon the release of handle 15. hen a sufficient vacuum has thus been produced, the valve 7 will open. Obviously the vacuum thus produced must be higher in case the valve has become stuck to its seat by sediment than otherwise. Should the force of adhesion be greater than that of the highest vacuum which the suction force will produce, a condition which is not expected, the flush will nevertheless be produced, the tank and casing 10 running dry, which would perhaps give warning of the existing condition, because normally the main valve should close while subn'ierged, and the running of the apparatus quite dry would produce a noise different from the usual one, after which the parts may be inspected and cleaned. Or, the valve 7 may be opened and the apparatus refilled the next time the pressure in pipe 1 attains its maximum.

The apparatus could be constructed and made to operate without the valve 7 and its spring, but the valve is preferred because it prevents the deposition of sediment from still water in the supply pipe in the parts beyond it, especially in port 32 and about the valves 18 and 19.

In Fig. 3, I illustrate the openings from the chamber (5 to casing 10 as located in the top of the chamber 6, and indicated by 9. This arrangement is used When the auxiliary tank is dispensed with, as it permits the water to flow from the main to the outlet so long as the outlet valve is open. It is understood of course, that when the auxiliary reservoir is dispensed with, the openings in the casing of the fiushometer connected there with are closed by suitable plugs.

Having thus described my invention, I de clare that what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fiushometer, the combination of a casing, an inlet pipe leading from a source of liquid supply, an outlet pipe from said :asing, a main valve therefor, a casing actuated by the unseating movement 01": the main valve exposed to said first named casing and adapted to form an expansible chamber, and a secondary valve between the latter chamber and the chamber presented by the first named casing.

2. In a flushometer, the combination 01 a casing, an inlet pipe leading from a source of liquid supply, an outlet pipe from said casing, a main valve therefor, a casing carried by the stem of the main valve exposed to said first named casing and adapted to form an expansible chamber, and a secondary valve between the latter chamber and the chamber presented by the first named casing.

In a fiushonieter, the combination of a casing, an inlet pipe leading from a source of liquid supply, a normally closed valve therefor, an outlet pipe from said casing, a main valve therefor, a casing carried by the stem of said main valve and exposed to said first named casing, and adapted to form an expansible chamber within said first named casing, and a secondary valve between said last named chamber and the main chamber, substaiitially as described.

a. In a fiushometer, the combination of a casing, inlet and outlet pipes therefor, an auxiliary reservoir cmnmunicating with said casing, a normally closed main valve for said outlet opening, means whereby when said main valve is operated the inlet opening will be closed and communication will be established directly between the auxiliary reservoir and the outlet opening, and means for isolating a portion of the fluid within the casing upon the opening of the main valve and for directing the force of the operator in opening said valve, against said isolated portion of fiuid to force the same into the casing.

5. In a flushometer, the combination of an inlet pipe an outlet pipe, an auxiliary reser voir, a normally closed main valve for the outlet pipe, means whereby when said valve is opened communication will be established between said reservoir and the outlet pipe, and whereby when said valve is closed communication will be established between the inlet pipe and the reservoir, and means for isolating a portion of the fluid upon the opening of the main valve and for directing the force of the operator in opening said valve, against said isolated portion to permit the flow of the latter through the outlet pipe.

6. In a flushometer, the combination of an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, an auxiliary reservoir, a normally closed main valve for said outlet pipe, means whereby when said valve is open communication will be established directly between said reservoir and said outlet pipe'and closed between said inlet pipe and said outlet pipe, and'whereby when said valve is closed communication will be established between said inlet pipe and said reservoir, and means for isolating a portion of the fluid upon the opening of the main valve and for directing the force of the operator in opening said valve, against said isolated portion to permitthe flow of the latter through the outlet pipe.

7. In a flushometer, the combination of a casing, an inlet pipe leading from a source of liquid supply, an outlet pipe from said casing, a main valve therefor, a casing actuated by the unseating movement of the main valve exposed to said first named casing and adapted 'to form an expansible chamber, a secondary valve between the latter chamber and the chamber presented by the first named casing, and means for permitting the entrance of air to said casing when the water level therein falls.

8. In a flushometer, the combination of a casing, an inlet pipe leading from a source of liquid supply, an outlet pipe from said casing, a main valve therefor, a casing carried by the stem of the main valve exposed to said first named casing and adapted to form an eXpansible chamber, a secondary valve between the latter chamber and the chamber presented by the first named casing, and means for permitting the entrance of air to said casing when the water level therein falls.

9. In a flushometer, the combination of a casing, an inlet pipe leading from a source of liquid supply, an outlet pipe from said casing, a main valve therefor, a casing actuated by the unseating movement of the main valve and exposed to said first named casing and adapted to form an eXpansible chamber, a secondary valve between the latter chaml l I ber and the chamber presented by the first named casing and means for opening communication between the fluid and the atmosphere upon a fall of the water level in said casing.

10. In a flushometer, the combination of a casing, an inlet and an outlet pipe communicating therewith, a valve controlling said outlet, means whereby said valve may be op- A erated, means for preventing fluid from flowing into said casing through said inlet when said outlet is open, and means for admitting air to said casing said means being operated by the water in said casing.

11. In a flushometer, the combination of a casing, an inlet and an outlet pipe communicating therewith, a valve controllin' said outlet, means whereby said valve may e operated, means for preventing fluid from flowing into said casing through said inlet when said outlet is open, and means for admitting air to said casing, said means being operated by the water in said casing, and

means for controlling the velocity of the main valve in its closing movement.

12. In a flushometer, the combination of a casing, an inlet and an outlet pipe communicating therewith, a valve controlling said outlet, means whereby said valve may be operated, means for preventing fluid from flowing into said casing through said inlet when said outlet is opened, means for admitting air to said casing, said means operated by the water in said casing, means for controlling the velocity of the main valve in its closing movement, and means for restricting the flow of fluid through said main valve.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK M. ASHLEY.

lVitnesses:

C. V. Enwanns,

ALEX FERGUSON. 

